ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers
Association has selected Ohio State guard/forward Evan
Turner as the winner of the 2009-10 Oscar Robertson Trophy,
annually presented to the National Player of the Year.

Turner

The 6-7, 210-pound junior from Chicago, Ill., was the
consensus choice by voters
in all nine geographical districts of the USBWA. Turner becomes
the first national player of the year from Ohio State since
Jerry Lucas won his second straight USBWA Player of the Year
award in 1962. Turner is also the first Big Ten player to win
the honor since Purdue's Glenn Robinson in 1994.

Turner will be presented with the Oscar Robertson Trophy by
its namesake Oscar Robertson at the USBWA's annual College
Basketball Awards Breakfast on Friday, April 2 at 8 a.m. at The
Columbia Club in downtown Indianapolis in conjunction with the
NCAA Men's Final Four. For tickets to the awards breakfast, visit the USBWA website,
usbwa.com.

Turner, a first-team USBWA All-American and USBWA District V
Player of the Year, was chosen as the national player of the
year from a field of 16 finalists. The Big Ten Player of the
Year has the led Buckeyes (29-7) to the Big Ten regular-season
and tournament championships and into the Midwest Regional in
St. Louis, where they face Tennessee on Friday.

"I think he's very deserving," Ohio State coach Thad Matta
said. "I am very proud of what he's done, the work he's done to
put himself in position to win the award is something that's
truly amazing. He's one of the most multi-dimensional players in
the country. He has an ability to score the basketball, drive
it, get to the foul line, and shoot threes. His passing makes
everyone on the floor that much better."

Despite missing six games due to injury early in the season,
Turner led the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding. Including his
two NCAA Tournament games, Turner is averaging 20.0 points and
9.2 rebounds per game. He was second in the conference in
assists and steals. Turner was also third in the conference in
field-goal percentage and 14th in free-throw percentage. He has
recorded two triple-doubles and 16 double-doubles this season.

In addition to the Oscar Robertson Trophy, the Henry Iba Award
will be presented to the association's national coach of the
year and IUPUI coach Ron Hunter will receive the USBWA's Good Guy Award
at the awards breakfast.

The
Oscar Robertson Trophy is voted on by the entire membership
of the association, which consists of more than 900 journalists. It
is the nation's oldest award and the only one named after a former
player. The legendary Oscar Robertson was the USBWA's first player
of the year in 1959. The USBWA renamed its player of the year award
the Oscar Robertson Trophy in 1998.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at
the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. Today,
it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball.
For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive
director Joe Mitch at 314-421-0339.